End of Year Reflection and 2026 Planning
Read time: 4 minutes
Every December, my friend Chad DeAbreu at TradeBrain asks me to run an End of Year Reflection and Planning Session for his clients and friends. It's always such a delight because he is inviting his people to take a rare pause and stop chasing the carrot. To think ahead, pulling back from day-to-day tasks and urgencies, and envision what the next 12 months are about.
As I run through our session agenda, I notice that folks feel re-energized and a new clarity sets in. They are taking 2 hours for themselves to reflect on their accomplishments and what went well in the last year, as well as look ahead proactively. It's time to touch back in with the hopes and dreams you have for your work and life. It's time to consider what is working and what needs your attention.
When is the last time you celebrated your hard work? It's usually pretty rare for high-performing people to do this, and yet, it's so essential to our productivity and peace of mind. The most effective high-performing people I know are rigorous in their practice of annual, monthly and weekly planning. They recognize that perspective is hard to gain when you are only focused on the myopia of the everyday.
When we take the time to consider what went well in the last year and evaluate our ability to set priorities and fulfill them, we bring completion to the year. Most times, I notice that pride arises—like a good pat on the back—and a clarity for what can be improved sets in. Excitement for what's ahead builds on the momentum of what we are celebrating.
If you'd like to do an End of Year Reflection and Planning Session for yourself or your team, here's the agenda we follow:
2025 Reflection:
- How was your ability to be self-accountable this last year? Reflect on the confidence you have in your ability to keep the promises you make to yourself. Rate yourself on a scale of 1-10.
- Are there any barriers to being accountable to yourself?
- What were 5 big accomplishments personally and professionally in 2024?
- What is something you wanted to do but still need to get done?
Recenter: Do a Groundwork Check In Meditation to establish yourself as a being.
2026 Planning: Focus Areas for 2026: Set your vision, mission, 3-5 priorities and pathways. Reference the exercise template in the Groundwork Manual and Workbook.
Feel free to also invite your Groundwork Coach into the fold. They can lead this session for you or your team and help bring clarity and focus to the exercise.
Make sure you give yourself a good chunk of time to do this well—don't rush through it. For teams we take 2 hours, for individuals we recommend blocking 1.5 hours.
As Oliver Burkeman so eloquently reminds us in Four Thousand Weeks, life is finite. What we will accomplish in this life is limited. Being grounded in this is key to successful planning.
So on the note of finiteness, here are some additional coaching notes for this exercise:
- Celebrate: Be proud of your work.
- Reflect: Look at yourself honestly to grow.
- Plan: Set realistic priorities that are connected to the values you are choosing to focus on in 2026. Make sure it's all connected to something deeper for you.
As always, if there is anything I can do to help you start off 2026 powerfully, get in touch!
The Groundwork System is a simple way to manage your inbox, to-do list, and calendar, and a simple way to understand and manage the triggers and pain that keep you in survival mode.
